Title in the Language of the Records

España, Testamentos Notariales de Cádiz

Record Description

The records are testaments (wills) that were written in the presence of a notary public of the province of Cádiz. This collection was kept at the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz, Spain. Documents are written in Spanish.

This is a collection of wills created before a notary public, who kept the original document until the death of the person that created the will; another copy was kept at the General Registry of Wills (Registro General de Actos de Última Voluntad). Through the life of the testator, the General Registry kept the will as a secret document, unauthorized to be viewed by anyone until the death of the testator. At the death of the person, the family would inquire at the General Registry of Wills to find out which will was the latest created by the testator and where it was created, especially if the family did not know which notary public was holding the original copy.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

This collection of notary public wills is from the years 1550-1920.

A wealthy person usually created a will in order to leave properties and goods as an inheritance to his or her children and others. In order to do this, the person would hire a notary public. The notary had the knowledge to write this kind of document, which needed to fulfill legal formalities.

The vital information contained in these wills may be reliable since the testator had to provide his or her legal identification and proof of property and goods ownership, as well as the names and personal identification of the inheritors.

Citation for This Collection

The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Record Content

Key genealogical facts found in these wills may include the following:

Wills

Names of testators

Place of origin and of residence

Legitimacy and parents’ names

Burial request

Marriage date and place of testators

Relatives’ names

Names of children/heirs and their vital information

Testamentary executor’s name

Witnesses’ names

How to Use the Record

The open wills in this collection are alphabetically organized. In order to find your ancestor, it is necessary to know the name of the deceased person that left the will. It will also help to know the approximate year of his or her death.

Related Websites

Related Wiki Articles

Contributions to This Article

We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. We are looking for additional information that will help readers understand the topic and better use the available records. We also need translations for collection titles and images in articles about records written in languages other than English. For specific needs, please visit WikiProject FamilySearch Records.

Please follow these guidelines as you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.